Midnight power

Eight years on from the original Midnight Club, and Rockstar is still living the boy racer dream. While Burnout and Need For Speed have been through countless headline-grabbing re-models and re-inventions, the original urban driving and modding sim is still unapologetically cruising the same streets - just on much fancier wheels. And there's nothing wrong with that. Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a masterpiece of illegal racing madness.

Road runner

You know the drill, surely? Drive around looking for other cars to race, then line-up, hit the accelerator and turn the streets of Los Angeles into a garish, neon-splashed Nurburgring. Events include point-to-point, circuit and freeway challenges, the latter involving heart-pounding romps through the congested traffic of LA's gargantuan multi-lane mega-roads. Winning races gets you cash for new cars, but just performing well earns reputation points that unlock the right to buy better classes of vehicle. In this town, winning isn't everything, but style and courage are mandatory.

Which is perhaps a good thing as these races are tough. We mean really tough. Opponent AI is red hot, shimmying through the streets with faultless accuracy - which means if you make a teeny mistake at top speeds - maybe clip a wall or another vehicles - you're pretty much out of contention. It's also very difficult to gain a decent lead, as the computer-controlled cars seem to get a speed boost when they're chasing. The only sigh of relief you get to breathe is when you blast though the finishing line.

And then there are the cops. These are illegal races, of course, so the boys in blue will be straight on your tail if you fly through Downtown LA at 120mph. These chases can be incredibly exciting, especially as you develop your knowledge of the many shortcuts and back alleys, enabling you to dart away unseen from the pursuing mob. Get caught though, and you face a cash fine that gets bigger the longer you allude LA's finest.

Hot in the city

The City Of Angels is the supporting star of the show. Rockstar has crammed in every well-known area, from sunny Santa Monica to the Hollywood hills, all loaded with intricate insider detail and recognisable landmarks. Burning down Sunset Strip, checking out the Viper Room and Chateau Marmont while pounding rock music blasts from your speakers is pure virtual tourism. And with the day and night cycle, plus a real-world weather system, the streets are different every time you zoom through.

Handling is designed for thrills rather than snobbish accuracy. The cars feel loose and coltish, encouraging lots of powerslide cornering at ridiculous speeds, accompanied by the squeal of tyres and an engine noise that sounds like the Earth exploding.

There are over 40 cars and bikes available to unlock and thrash, including favourites from Lamborghini, Ducati and Mitsubishi - all are subject to gut-wrenching crash damage, and all can be customised and upgraded. There are even power-ups to discover, including Agro, which turns your car into an unstoppable wrecking machine, and EMP, which blows out any vehicles in your vicinity with an electromagnetic pulse.

When you're bored of driving alone, going online and hooking up with mates is just a seamless button press away. There's a huge variety of multiplayer modes, including a selection of straightforward races as well as barmy Capture The Flag variants. Midnight Club: Los Angeles is also compatible with the Rockstar Games Social Club (http://socialclub.rockstargames.com), a huge stat-tracking service where you can check your performances against those of your rivals.

Exit here

Midnight Club: Los Angeles is another glorious slab of automotive escapism from the Rockstar garage. Great cars, beautiful locations and a huge range of single and multiplayer challenges add up to one heck of an urban driving experience. This is no easy ride, however, and you'll need to spend a long time tuning your street racing skills to unlock the really sexy motors and progress through the career mode. But no one ever said life in LA is easy.

GAME's Verdict

• Stunning interpretation of Los Angeles.
• Great vehicles and customisation options.
• Plenty of imaginative multiplayer modes.

• Opponent AI is tough to beat.
• Not much innovation.
• Well... you can always have more cars and bikes!

Review by: Keith 'Skyline' Stuart
Version Tested: PS3
Review Published: ??.??.??